From The World Of Parks & Recreation
By Doug Comer
Before I begin to write about some of the upcoming events from Parks and Rec in the next couple weeks, I want to touch on a piece that ESPN did on the late Stuart Scott, who battled cancer for seven years before succumbing to the disease less than a month ago.
When asked about his rare form of appendiceal cancer, he was quoted in Men’s Health Magazine saying, “Go ahead and hit me. But, I’m going to hit you back harder.” He mentioned that he thought about having cancer 20 times a day, but took the high road and stayed positive about life, instead of letting it beat him down. He battled the disease and kept his body in shape through workouts with martial arts trainers.
This past summer, Scott was awarded an ESPY. His acceptance speech included topics about life, and living it. He mentioned that his two daughters were his heartbeat, his reason for living. He changed the way sports is read as he made Sports Center hip through his catch phrases “Boo-ya” and “As cool as the other side of the pillow.” He will be missed.
Bitter weather has put a hamper on the first week of practices with the Youth Basketball league. The “no-school, no play” policy ensures that the parents know exactly if activity is cancelled for that day. You can still contact the HCPR for more information.
And due to the inclement weather at the beginning of the two-week practice dates, the season will be extended another week.
The weather has brought some chilly conditions as snow and ice accumulated throughout the county. You can call it a temporary “Ice Age.” I cannot agree or deny that our new Dinosaur Exhibit beginning in February is to blame for the arctic blast we have suffered in the past weeks.
This year’s theme, Dinosaurs and the Ice Age, has taken a similar trail to last season’s Walking with Dinosaurs exhibit but more emphasis will be directed to the Ice Age and the animals from that era. Director Mike Book anticipates another jaw dropping program as he explains.
“We have been brainstorming ideas for the past couple weeks on how to ‘WOW’ our kids for the winter enrichment program, and we have some great ideas on paper. My favorite part of the program is seeing the kid’s faces and their reactions when they walk in and take in what we created.”
We have plenty of extinct fossils on tap for this year, including our little buddy “Tink,” a 30-foot Tyrannosaurus Skeleton, who was the showcase’s top draw last year.
Some of the new exhibits include a Wooly Mammoth that covers 25-feet in length and towers at 12-feet, a Wooly Rhino, a Ground Sloth and a Saber Tooth Cat to mention a few.
“We are excited for the displays and our research information will keep kids of all ages interested in the event. But, don’t expect a Pixar animated type setting for this enrichment. However, we will have plenty of hands-on activities that will not only inform the children about days of the ice age, but make the day enjoyable,” said Book.
And as last year, the HCPR will have plenty of family days and weekends for everyone in the county to experience the exhibit. Again, for more information please contact the HCPR or reference our Facebook page under Harrison Parks.
Congrats to the Ohio State Buckeyes on winning the National Championship. It shows that the Big-10 knows that the bread and butter comes from the running game and not the high flying 50+ passing attempts a week.
Until next week, be as cool as the other side of the pillow.
